Black Ice

The night air was warm. Warmer than it had been in such a long time. For the people of Livenlite it meant the long awaited summer was approaching. To her, it meant the end of freedom.

Pulling her hood farther over her head she looked around her. Not a soul was wondering in the dusty streets. No one to spy the seventeen year old girl walking around at Horrids' Hour.
As it started to get darker she hid from the Lamp Lighters of the town. She watched as they used petty magik tricks to light the streets. She laughed silently for she had been able to do such simple tasks since she was but eight years of age.She wouldn't have minded going over there and teaching them a thing or two on real magik. Looking at the ground she remembered the exact words that her father had embedded into her head since she could remember. Do not make a scene. she had been told, If I ever give you leave to visit a town you may have your fun, but don't get caught and associate little. Even now she could hear the pause in her fathers voice. And the less you associate, the less chance of problems for our 'family'.

As the lamp lighters returned to the safety of their homes she stepped out onto the street once again. To her dismay, the moment she stepped into sight a group of Horrids came around the corner. Without hesitation she ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could. She could tell they were following her as she rounded another corner without even having to look. Their yells, whistles and stumbling unsteady feet insured her they were on her heels. Not being able to shake them, she was running out of energy and they were gaining on her fast.
Looking around desperately she found her salvation. A small sign swung slightly in the non-existent breeze. Upon it was a sloppy painting of a cat, hardly visible under the dirt. In comparison, a golden arrow seemed to glow against the grimy sign. it didnt point to a shop, but instead a small alleyway. Turning down it she did not see a door, only a the dead end.
Look for the unseen.
It was something her father had told her not long ago about the town.
Don't believe there is nothing there, look for the hidden, the out of place, there shall always be something just out of sight. It was one of the few real pieces of advise her father had given her.
It wasn't to hard for her to zone out and look for things without her eyes. She could hear the sound of deep voices and tankards being hit onto deep oak wood, smell stale ale and the burning of tinder boxes. She focused on where it was all coming from and faced it head on. All within a few seconds.
There it was, a small door, so old it almost matched the stone wall around it. Had it not been for the drawing of a hissing black cat upon it she would not have noticed its presence. Taking a step closer to inspect it she jumped back in surprise when a smash hit the door.
"More than likely an unhappy customer." she thought mindlessly till a larger thunk hit the door right after.

She was starting to rethink her idea of hiding in the pub when she heard slurred voices and stumbling footsteps outside the alley. Not seeing anywhere else to go, she moved as close to the door frame as possible and pulled her dark green cloak around her, trying to hide as much as possible from the Horrids' view. One by one they staggered into her sight. None were much older than her, yet all seemed to be drunker than she had even seen older men be.

Holding her breath she hoped they would move on quickly, giving up any thoughts to keep up their chase. But as they started to walk away another thud hit the door, causing her to fall over in surprise with a small shriek. As she got up she started to cuss but was mid-word when she saw seven pars of eyes on her. One in particular, the tallest, looked startled. Then as he looked at her closer, as she was frozen to the spot in fear, recognition shone in his eyes. That was all she needed to come back to her senses. Thinking fast before they realized what was going on she stepped back and dove through the door.